Photos Show Rare Antelopes in New Locale

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Camera traps in a forest near Kenya's coast have captured images
of a rare, dainty antelope, a discovery that has surprised
scientists since it was not known that the elusive animals lived
in the region.

Thousands of images from 52
camera traps stationed around the Boni-Dodori forests in
northern Kenya uncovered what may be the world's largest
population of Aders' duiker, a critically endangered antelope
species that, until the recent discovery, was thought to live in
only two spots on Earth.

"This population is a lifeline for the critically endangered
antelope, which until now was thought to exist only in tiny
populations in coastal Kenya and Zanzibar," said Rajan Amin, a
senior conservation biologist with the Zoological Society of
London, in a statement.

The forest-dwelling antelopes are the size of a house pet. They
measure about 27 inches (69 centimeters) from head to
hindquarters and about 12 inches (31 cm) at the shoulder.

Much about the Aders' duiker (Cephalophus adersi)
remains mysterious, but scientists identified the species in the
camera trap photos from a tell-tale white band along the thigh
and mahogany coloring on the upper back.

Previous study of the species revealed the antelopes sometimes
follow troops of monkeys through the forest, and feed on material
the primates drop from the trees.

Population numbers are sparse, but one study from 1999 estimated
as few as 640 Aders' duiker were left on the planet, and their
numbers were expected to decline.

The
camera-trap pictures also revealed important populations of a
number of species such as African wild dogs (Lycaon
pictus), elephants (Loxodonta africana) and lions
(Panthera leo), living in and around the biodiverse
forest, which is under threat from rapid coastal and agricultural
development.

The camera traps that caught sight of the rare animals were set
up by several international and Kenyan conservation groups, the
Zoological Society of London among them, and the groups are
calling for the swift conservation of the forest where the
species lives.

"Given time and conservation action we could unearth even more
new species in this isolated forest, but we are running out of
time to stop the forest and its hidden secrets from being
destroyed by rapid coastal development," Amin said.